Curse of the Dragon Statue
by jay.ambers
Summary: (I watched the Secret of Moonacre and liked the story and characters, but i wish it had more action and more character development. This version of the story has more of Robin and his gang. Please note; i changed pretty much everyone's name, so if you watched the movie, then try to figure out who is who.
1. Character Legend

Some of you are getting confused on which character is meant to be the one in the movie. Here's a list so you don't get confused. I will update this whenever I introduce new characters. Tell me in the comments if you want me to make a timeline later on in the story.

Syrena Freemen...Maria Merryweather

The Prince/Robin de Noir...Robin de Noir

Foflee, Leo&Phoenix de Noir...Robin's gang

Mistress Ayaka...Miss Heliotrope

Silver Hummingbird...Digweed

Sir William Freemen/Uncle...Sir Benjamin Merryweather

Florence de Noir...Loveday de Noir

Jacques Freemen/Father...Maria's Father

Madeline Freemen/Mother...Maria's Mother

Ayemornielle (Eye-more-nee-elle)/Dragon Empress...Moon Princess

Dragoncrest Valley...Moonacre Valley

Dragon Statue...Moonpearls


	2. Chapter 1

Anyone else would think the crisp ringing of the bells is beautiful, but to me, it is the sound that states my loneliness. Anyone else would think it is a fresh morning with the dew still in the air, but to me, the day marks yet another loss. Anyone else would cry for their parents death, but to me, the tears do not come.

I am the only one besides a couple others that showed up to the burial. None of them related to me, and none really care for me. But I could care less, they are just here for the money. They do not even bother to tell me that they are sorry for my loss, because in their hearts, they truly are not. They also do not think well of me. They think I am mental. I guess it is strange for a lady not to wear a dress, but I feel more comfortable in pants. Mind you, I am wearing a black dress at the moment, for the burial. But I am still wearing slacks underneath.

"Let us commend Jacques Freemen to the mercy of God…'' The priest starts to speak in a solemn tone. The few that are attending straighten themselves and look forward. I follow their actions. The priest prays the Lord's prayer, and a few join in.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..."

I look around at the trees, green and swaying to and fro. The air is humid and stuffy, but the wind gives a cold, bitterness to it. I think of how my father, a so called 'Colonel' that fought in the war, ended up being a grand disappointment to me. He always sent letters telling me "My dearest Syrena, although the war still rages on, I want to let you know that I love you and will be home as soon as I can..." _Yeah right,_ I thought to myself, _he 'loved' me so much. If he lied about everything else, I will assume that he lied about loving me. _I snap into focus when the Priest finishes the prayer.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.''

I glance down at the blood red roses that I hold in my pale hands. As the coffin is lowered into the grave, I step forward and place a rose on my father's coffin, hesitantly. _You're lucky that our God is_ _forgiving_, I mentally tell his corpse,_ because if I were him, I wouldn't forgive you for all that you have done._ I walk and place the freshest rose at my mother's tomb stone. The script reads 'Madeline Freemen 1793 -1817'. She died nearly fifteen years ago. Just a few days after I was born_. I am the reason why she's dead._ I step back in my place. When the shovels start to dig, the priest finishes his part.

"We therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

I breathe in a breath full of air, which smells of fresh grass. Being the cautious person I am, I check out what is going on around me. Everything seems in place. I suddenly stiffen. There, behind us is a boy about my age, clothed from head to toe in black. He wears a thin black mask that only covers his nose. He is leaning on the pillar of the burial home. He stares directly at me, no expression on his face. I glare at him for the rest of the burial. _Does he come here to mock me, or did my father owe him money too?_ I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Syrena? Everyone else has gone home. It' s about time you headed back too. Do you want me to walk with you?"

It is the priest. Priest John, who is the closest person to family I have here.

I quickly glance back towards the boy. He is gone. I shudder at the thought of how fast he moved.

I turn back to John. I shake my head and sound as monotone as ever.

'' No, but thank you for offering. I just feel like being alone.''

He understands and wishes me well, for I have to move to the country side to live with my uncle, the only _real_ family I have left. I scowl at the thought of him. He didn't even bother to show at his own brother's funeral. My uncle, Sir William Freemen, owns an entire plantation called The Dragoncrest valley. His mansion is located in the mainland and his workers are Natives from up North somewhere. But I hear that it is supposed to be very beautiful. I decide not to think any more of him. I am frustrated enough.

I start walking through the city, trying to find my way back to my home. Once, this town had been lively and new, attracting people from around the country to visit once in a while. But now it is dead, cracks in the streets and cobwebs in the windows. I am sort of glad to be leaving this place because of the state it's in.

I turn into an alleyway, a shortcut to the inn I stay at. Even though it is morning, the shadows from the buildings on either side of me make it extremely hard to tell where I'm going. But since I have walked up and down this for years, I know every crack and bump on this path. It takes a while to pass through it, so I start to whistle a tune that was played on my music box. I was given it by my parents when I was young. The melody is loud at first, but I start to soften it to make certain of what I am hearing. My footsteps are quiet and slow; I am not in any rush to pack. But there are other footsteps, ones that I cannot recognize. I remember that the walls do cause any noise made within them to echo. This does not make me relax. I stop whistling. My steps can only be heard when I want them to be. No, the echo is coming from behind me, loud and heavy. I reach into my black cloak for my pistol. My fingers slowly wrap around the handle. I look behind and stop. The boy from the burial is following me. I stare at him. He stares at me. He flashes an attractive, but polite smile. He then does something that makes my heart stop and the blood drain from my face.

He continues the lullaby.


	3. Chapter 2

The song was from my music box, which my parents had made for me. How did this boy know _my_ song? Maybe my father stole the music box from somewhere where the tune is quite popular? Maybe the boy had been there when it was being made. No, he has to be around my age, maybe a bit older, so he wouldn't remember that far back. I cant seem to figure him out.

The boy actually appears to be a young man. He walks by, still whistling, and locking his brown eyes on me. He has a smug look on his face that I eagerly want to punch off. He finally looks away and walks out of the alleyway. Before he turns the right corner, he looks back at me for a final time and winks. I stand there completely speechless. _Did that really just happen? _The only way I'll ever find out is if I demand for answers.

I start to jog over to where he turned, but I stumble on my way. _I truly hate wearing dresses. _I manage to make it to the corner in one piece and peek around it. _Gone._ The young, mysterious person is gone again. I feel a bit relieved, but at the same time mental. _Did I imagine him? That has to be it. How else would he know my tune?_

I stroll down a few more streets making my way to the inn at which I stay at. I forget about the boy for a few minutes, caught up in my thoughts about packing. Something bothers me. It just tugs at me while I try to think. I can't ignore it. It calls for my attention. _The shadows are moving. _There is my shadow, and the shadows of the buildings. But there are other shadows. _There! They moved again! _They are jumping from one rooftop to another. _They're following me._

I turn my head up at the sky and squint. _Of course they have to be in front of the sun. _There are four silhouettes crouching on top of an apartment, all of them watching me. _What do they want?_

I don't stay to find out. I run away from them and try to keep my hood from blowing off. I sprint around the last block and finally make it to the inn. I burst through the front doors and run upstairs to my room. I rush in, run to the window and peer out of it. The four figures are sitting on the roof of a store that stands in front of the inn. I shut the curtains.

"Syrena?" The voice comes from behind me.

Without thinking, I grab a candle holder and whip it at the door. The beautiful woman who stands there grabs it out of the air and flings it back at me. I catch it and relax a little. It is just my governess, Mistress Ayaka.

She had grown up in a place called Japan and traveled all the way to New England. She originally came here to train young ladies how to defend themselves through ancient martial arts. Ayaka had befriended my mother and trained her for a couple of years. When the time of my birth came around, Ayaka was there to help deliver me. She was the first one who noticed that my mother was dying, and Ayaka promised that she would take care of me and raise me to be a young lady. My mother had died a day after Ayaka's promise to her. My father became a depressed man and 'joined the army' as soon as he could. Ayaka had raised me and disciplined me. She also had been training me in martial arts skills for as long as I can remember. So here we stand today throwing candle holders at each other.

"I am truly sorry Ayaka, I have not been myself today."

"I can tell," she responds, "You are still wearing that dress."

I look down and give a wry smile. I would normally have ripped it off as soon as I entered the room, but I was distracted at that moment. As I take the skirt off, I tell her about the four figures following me. I throw the skirt on my bed and fix my black pants and corset.

"And that is why I threw the lamp at you; I thought you were one of them."

"They must have been bandits, or troublemakers. Worry about them no longer, my dear. We are leaving tomorrow anyways; they will not follow us all the way out in the country."

I register the thought and relax completely. Even if they did break in tonight, Mistress Ayaka would teach them a lesson. Plus nothing here is really valuable... Except for my music box.

"Ayaka, could you please tell me where my music box came from?"

"Certainly. Before you were born, your parents wanted to buy you a music box to put you to sleep. None of the melodies matched what they were looking for, so they had one made for you. The song came from and old book that they treasured. Words are supposed to be sung with the tune, and your mother did sing them to you once. She died before she could teach me the lyrics. They are in the back of the book from where the song had originated from. I just received the book today from your lawyer. It is what your father left for you in his will."

_Yah, the only thing he left for me since he owed money to nearly half the country. _

_"_When can I have it?" I ask.

"I'll give it to you tonight. But first wash up come down for dinner."

"Yes Mistress Ayaka."

She leaves the room and I take off my cloak. I stroll into the bathroom and wash both my face and hands. I comb out my auburn hair and braid it. Walking into my bedroom again, I feel the cold bitter breeze that I had felt at the burial. The window is opened. I walk over, shut it and lock it after scanning the outdoors. I quickly amble out of my room and join Ayaka for dinner. All troubles were forgotten as we had a grand time feasting.

The only problem: I never really noticed the four boys standing outside and around my bedroom window.


	4. Chapter 3

I crawl up stairs full of pork and mash potatoes. When I make it to my room, I close the door behind me. I pack my useless skirt in one of my suitcases and hang my cloak on the door. Lying on top of my white sheets is a book. I pick it up and read the title, 'Curse of the Dragon Statue.' Ayaka must have left this in my room after she came up. I leave the book on my bed and close my ivory curtains to change in peace. My black night gown is the only dress that I will accept in my life. I would never go out in it though, for it cuts off at the knees and leaves my calves bare. I slip on the long sleeved jacked that goes with it to cover my shoulders.

While un-braiding my hair, I crawl up on my bed and sit before the book. The cover is a faded black with silver writing. A sliver dragon is drawn around the title, entangling itself in its extraordinarily long body. Its eyes are made with moonstones, so that they shine in the oddest way. I smile. _I like this book already._ Opening the cover, I see that the worn out pages have pictures drawn on them to visualise the story. I begin to read.

'There was a time before there were any wars within the land of Dragoncrest Valley. A time before hatred and depression filled the land. A time where the greed and pride in men's hearts did not show.

Once upon such a perfect time, many hundreds of years ago, great beasts still roamed the land. Phoenixes soared in the sky, Sirens would sing their songs, and Serpents would swim in the deep waters. Men that lived in the valley had great respect for these creatures, as did the creatures had for them. The greatest of these beasts were the Dragons. Their flames were white hot, and their gaze could make a grown man cry.

The only human who could come in contact with such monsters was Ayemornielle of the de Noir clan. Great was her bravery and pure of heart. She herself was like a precious gemstone. Her eyes glowed like moonstones and her blonde hair was as soft as fire. The Dragons were mesmerized by her and had crowned her as the Dragon Empress. They blessed her with the Dragon Statue, which contained the power to control all Dragons.

The time came where the Dragon Empress brought together the two families of the land; the

de Noir's and the Freemen's. Ayemornielle was to marry Sir Alexander Freemen.

At the wedding, her father, Sir Griffin de Noir, gave Alexander a sword that was known to cut through almost anything. In turn, Alexander gave to his new wife a ring that could produce fire. Stories told that the ring will allow the one who wears it to touch fire without being burned.

Great was Ayemornielle's happiness that she decided to reveal the Dragon Statue to both families.

"Nurtured fathoms deep within the Earth, this statue was given to us by the Dragons themselves. Look! It holds a unique power. Whomever possesses it may be in control of all the Dragons of our land."

Legend tells that the Dragon Statue would grant anyone great power, weather the hands it fell in were good, or evil…'

I put the book down and decide to continue it tomorrow. _Wouldn't want to read it all at once. _

I turn out my oil lamps, wind up my music box and crawl into my bed. The melody plays and makes my eyes droop. I tuck my parent's book under my arm and finally fall asleep.

Something brushes my neck.

"Mmm?"

I move my head a few inches, but then collapse from exhaustion. A few seconds of silence pass by, and then something touches my hand, grabbing onto my fingers. _It's like how my mother held my fingers in the painting of us together. _I grab whatever it is back. It feels like a hand. _I must be dreaming._

"Mother?" I mutter.

The hand goes cold and I panic inside. _She can't die again! Not in my dream. I must keep her alive and warm. _

I pull the hand towards me, and sure enough an arm and a whole body follows along with it. I put my other arm around what I think is my mother's waist, and hug her close to me. She starts to get really warm, and I hear muffled laughter come from somewhere. _Why isn't she hugging me back? _

All of a sudden, there is a loud banging sound. My eyes shoot open and I sit up. Something drops off the other side of my bed and thumps onto the ground. I don't move a muscle. I don't even think, for the adrenaline is pumping through my body. I listen and wait for my eyes to adjust to the dark. The room is dead quiet, but there is a tension filling the air. I grab a dagger from my nightstand. My leg slides down from my bed onto the cold wooden floor. I let my other foot down beside it and start to tiptoe, my feet sticking to the ground ever so slightly. I pitter-patter across the room to my dresser and look into the mirror hanging above it. Lying beside my bed, on the ground, is a figure. I turn towards it, and then widen my eyes in shock. It is the boy from the alleyway. He pulls out his sword once he sees the knife in my hand.

"You shouldn't fight me all by yourself, the odds aren't fair."

He chuckles softly.

"You're right, I shouldn't."

I feel a sharp blow to the back of my head, and I collapse to the ground. The last thing I remember is three other boys towering over me.

"It's a good thing de Noir's don't travel alone." He tells me.

My vision blacks out.


	5. Chapter 4

Light.

A bright light shines through the window and burns my eyes. I wake up on the ground, stiff.

"Ow." I groan as I sit up. I rub the back of my neck and wince. _Right. I was attacked last night. _

There is a pillow lying on the floor where I was laying. _How kind of them, they didn't need to do that, _I think sarcastically. I can picture them in my mind, laughing as they place the pillow under my head, like it was a funny joke.

I stand up and take a look in my suitcases. _They look almost untouched. _Nothing seems to be missing. I pick up the pillow and put it back on my bed. I had spent my last night here on the floor. Not really the way I want to remember this place by, but I can't do anything about it now. I realize that I hadn't removed my belongings from my nightstands, and I start to empty them. I grab my pistol, a couple of daggers and a few darts. The darts are meant for a dart board, but I stole them when I was six. I look under my bed and find a long wooden box. I open it up and find the sword that Ayaka had given me last year. It was handcrafted in Japan, and is called a Katana. I don't really use it to fight people with, it's more for me to admire. I would have used it last night, but the boy was lying next to my bed, blocking my path to it. I couldn't have reached from the other side either because it was too far to the left side of the bed.

I reach over to grab my music box, when my hands grasp nothing but air. I gasp and search the room frantically for it. It's gone. _No! That's the only thing that I treasure! Who do they think they are, breaking in and taking my one obsession away from me?_

The boy's voice comes back into my mind.

_"It's a good thing de Noir's don't travel alone."_

So they are de Noir's. _That explains the black clothing. But I thought the de Noir's and Freemen's were united? Am I wrong? _I go to check the book, but that is gone too. I must have let it slip out of my grip when I was sleeping and they found it later on.

Out of frustration, I grab my darts and fling them at the wall.

There is a knock at the door.

"Syrena dear, you missed breakfast. Are you alright?" Ayaka calls.

_Oh, come on! This isn't fair! The only memories I had of my parents were stolen and I missed my favourite meal of the day. I will kill those de Noir's in a very slow and torturous way._

"Yes Ayaka, I'll tell you what happened later on. I just need to get dressed."

She seems to hesitate before answering.

"Alright, but do hurry, the wagon will arrive in a few minutes."

"I will try my best. Do you think I should wear a skirt to meet him? My uncle I mean."

"Wear your pants, Syrena. When he meets you, he should meet the real you, not the person you think he wants to meet."

"Thanks."

I quickly rip the darts out of the wall. Every dart I pull out, I chunk of the wall comes with it. _Oops. _I had forgotten why I stole them in the first place. These darts have metal teeth pointing backwards towards the handle. _It would be a big pain to have someone hit you with a dart, but one of these… the bigger pain would be getting it out. _

I step into black slacks and pull the suspenders over my shoulders. I put on a baggy black shirt and put a corset over top. After I wash up, I French-braid my hair. Tying on my cloak I gaze into the mirror, seeing the real me. I look respectable. But with my pants, I am also prepared in case I need to run, climb, or even fight. I see the corners of my lips twitch up into an evil smile. _Those de Noir's have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. _

I open the door to find Ayaka waiting for me. She rushes into my room and grabs two of my suitcases. I stare at her in awe. She is wearing a beautiful burgundy dress with a small black corset. Her glossy black hair is swept up into a neat bun. She has wears a decorative black fishnet hair piece that hangs down in front of her face. She looks back at me with her almond-shaped brown eyes.

"The wagon is here."

I jump into action and carry my last suitcase out the door.

"Syrena?"

I look back quickly then give a nervous laugh. Ayaka found the dart holes.

"I lost my temper."

"Yes, but what did you use to make such a mess?"

I hand her one of the darts.

"I stole them when I was young, I know I should have gave them back-"

She examines it, than gasps.

"Syrena!"

I brace myself for a lecture.

"You had darts, and you never shared them with me?"

I laugh. Ayaka does love her weapons. She smiles at me.

"Let's go."

The only person who has come to see me off is Priest John. He gives me his blessings and gives me a cross necklace. I hug him and thank him for supporting me. I finally turn to leave.

There is a man standing before me, not from this city. He has tanned skin, long dark brown hair with feathers weaved in it. His chocolate brown eyes have wrinkles around them, and are lit up with so much personality. He wears a deer skin poncho and pants with designs of simplified Dragons embroidered on them. I can't help but smile at him. He returns my smile and takes a deep bow.

"Silver Hummingbird of the Thunderbird clan is my name. I am here to escort you to Dragoncrest Valley."

_He must be one of the Natives that works for my Uncle!_ I pretend to curtsy with an invisible skirts and he laughs merrily.

"Syrena of the Freemen clan," I joke, "I am pleased to meet you, Silver Hummingbird."

_The name is quite a mouthful, but it's pretty unique. _

"It is I who has the pleasure of meeting you, Empress. Call me Hummingbird, if you'd like."

I laugh nervously. _Empress? Maybe my Uncle told him to call me that._

"Certainly, Hummingbird, but only if you call me Syrena."

"If you wish." He says as he takes my luggage from me.

I crawl into the carriage and sit beside Ayaka. We start to roll out onto the streets. A thought finally sinks in. _This is it. I'm never coming back._

"Do you care to tell me why you were absent at breakfast?"

I tell her first about the story book with the de Noir's and Freemen's. I then tell her about the dream of my mother and finally of the bandits. I conclude with the alleyway boy revealing himself to be a de Noir. Ayaka is furious, not with me, but about the bandits attacking and robbing me.

"Why didn't you call for help?" She demands.

"I didn't because I could see that he expected me too. He expected me to be a helpless screaming girl that he could take advantage of. I didn't want to meet his expectations; I wanted to show him that I wouldn't put up with his actions."

"Well?"

"I can definitely say that he was surprised, and has a new level of respect for me." I say proudly.

"Not enough respect to leave you alone, however. If you called for me, those fugitives would be behind bars now, and you would still have your belongings."

_And I would've had breakfast, _I complain to myself.

"You may be right about that, but I do remember seeing guns, swords and other weapons when I was falling unconscious. I do not doubt your skills, but I can sense that there would have been more blood spilled than necessary if I screamed."

Ayaka considers this, and gives me a thoughtful look.

"If you had a chance to go back, would you scream, or do the same as you did before?"

If I had screamed, that would have put Ayaka in harm's way._ I would never put anyone else's life at stake just so that I could have my treasures, especially not Ayaka's._

"If I could go back, I would not call you, but I would have a completely different approach to it all." I respond.

"Like throwing candle holders at them?"

I laugh. _She will never let me live that down._

"Well what if I did? You know, they would be puzzled as I beat them down with a candle holder in each hand."

"Quite the imagination you have, Syrena." Ayaka chuckles softly.

"Enough talk about me. Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" I ask.

I spend the next few hours listening to Ayaka talk about her life in Japan and the boat ride to New England. She tells me how her parents had abandoned her at birth just because she was a girl. Her father put her in a bag and was going to drown her. He threw her in the ocean and left her to die. A great Martial Artist, Master Ryukoku saw this happening, and had her fished out of the sea. When Ryukoku had held her for the first time, he saw that she was special. He took her in, raised and spoiled her like she was his own daughter. His wish was for Ayaka to be a great martial arts Master one day. When he died, she had his funeral where he found her. On the boat ride over to England, Ayaka let some of his ashes go in the different oceans. When she arrived here, she met my mother, and the rest is history.

_I love Ayaka's stories. _Her tales are bittersweet, which I like. I have yet to find a good story that only has happiness in it. I think that the best stories have at least one person die in it. It sounds messed up, but I don't even think Ayaka's story would have been that great if Ryukoku hadn't died; it would have just been happy. Every story needs a balance of good and bad to balance it out. Besides, if Ryukoku hadn't died, then Ayaka wouldn't be here.

The wagon slows to a stop and Hummingbird appears in the window.

"Is everything alright back here?" He asks us.

"Yes," I respond. Usually, ladies aren't supposed to ask unnecessary questions, but to be honest, I could care less of what I'm _supposed _to act like. Besides, my curiosity always gets the best of me.

"Why have we stopped?"

_Did one of the wheels break? Is there a huge pit in the path? Is there a dead animal in the way?_ I don't realize it, but sitting in the carriage for three hours has made me a bit giddy.

"There is a gate that needs to be opened. We will be in DragoncrestValley in an hour or two." He tells us.

_Oh. It's just a gate. Nothing exciting. _

Hummingbird leaves and I look out the window. There is a twenty foot stone wall in front of us with a ten foot gate in it. Hummingbird unlocks it, pulls a lever and it lifts up. He climbs back in the driver's seat and we start moving again.

As we roll through the gate, I see two black figures run to the wall, scale it and disappear over top.

_The de Noir's have followed us! _I freeze in my spot and try to remember if I had brought any weapons with me. No, I hid the darts in my luggage and my sword is in the trunk of the carriage. _Great. _All that I have with me is a white skirt in case my Uncle doesn't approve my pants. The wagon reaches at least thirty feet away from the wall. To the left of us is a forest. To the right of us is a field. I look back and see all four de Noir's sitting on top of the wall. I can manage to see that one of them has a bow and arrow. The arrow is set ablaze, and the boy who holds it draws it back to his and stands up. _They're trying to kill us!_

"Get down!" I shout to Ayaka and Hummingbird.

Thinking fast, I grab a curtain pole off the window and tie my white skirt on the end. I jump out of the wagon and run off the path.

"Syrena!" Ayaka calls after me.

I wave the pole and skirt around like a white flag. It's supposed to tell them that we surrender.

"STOP!" I shout at the top of my lungs.

One of the de Noir's laugh a manic laugh and calls back:

"NO MERCY!"

Ayaka jumps out the wagon and starts to run to me. Hummingbird stops the carriage and gets off too.

It's too late, though. The boy with the bow lets the arrow fly, and collide into the wagon. To everyone's surprise, the wagon explodes. I hit the ground and watch as Ayaka and Hummingbird fly backwards and hit the ground, not moving.


	6. Chapter 5

I jump to my feet and run towards the flaming remains of the wagon.

_They must have poured gunpowder in the trunk of the carriage for it to explode like that. _

"Ayaka!"

I run to her and receive a breath full of smoke. I cough violently and put my hood up. I drag Ayaka out into the field beside the path. Sprinting back into the smoke, I find Hummingbird. His poncho is on fire. I take it off him and stomp it out. I also drag him, although not as easily as I did to Ayaka, and lay him beside her. On Hummingbird's hunting belt, I find a water pouch, but no weapons. Both of them are still breathing, and I need to protect them from the smoke. I can't carry them both away; the de Noir's will catch up easily. I tear part of my white skirt attached to the pole and wet it with the water from Hummingbird's pouch. I toss the pole away. I rip the cloth in half and put the two damp rags over their faces. _This will keep the smoke out of their lungs for now. _

I look back and see the de Noir's start to drop down from the twenty foot wall and walk towards me. I emerge into the smoke one last time and free the petrified horses. I smack one of their flanks, and they take off, hopefully to my Uncle's manor. I can see the de Noir's are taking their time walking. My katana sword must have been destroyed along with the wagon. I run to a tree in the field, trying to find a large stick or something that I could use for a weapon. _The pole!_

I turn for it and realize that the boys do not take any interest in Ayaka nor Hummingbird. _They're coming straight for me!_ I run for the pole and reach down for it, but one of them calls out to me.

"Move again and I'll shoot." The boy with the bow has another arrow strung on it, though this one is not set ablaze. He draws the bow string back, aiming at my head.

"Go ahead." I say as my fingers wrap around the pole.

He lets the arrow go the same time I pick up my only weapon. At the last possible second, I swipe the arrow out of the air. He is too close to shoot, so he brings up the bow to strike me. That's when I see it; the blade attached to each end of the bow. I flee, knowing that I cannot defend myself against it. He follows a few paces behind me, and I think of one of the two things I can do. I run up the tree I had searched before, and push off of it with my legs. I flip in the air and I land behind the archer. I kick the back of his knee and try to dodge him as he collapses to the ground. He grabs my leg as I step backwards, and I trip. He pounces on me, trying to choke me with his bowstring. I prevent him from jamming it into my neck by pushing back on the bow's handle. I struggle under his strength and feel my arms start to fail me. I give a final push and roll out from under him.

I stand up and find that the others have drawn out their weapons and start to surround me. To my right is the alleyway boy who wields two swords around. To my left is the boy who told me 'no mercy'. He has guns on his belts and holds a double sided torch that is lit up. The last one doesn't have a bowler hat, but short hair and three long, thin braids that go past his shoulder blades. This boy, the braider I guess, holds throwing knives. He is the one I decide to fear the most.

My heart pounds in my ears as I try to see who will strike first. The one to my left pulls his torch apart into two, and lunges at me. I jab him in the solar-plexus and knock the wind out of him. My alleyway boy starts to tense up and the Archer starts to ready his bow behind me. I throw the pole at the braider and drop to the ground. The braider dodges the pole and pulls his num-chucks out in time to deflect the arrow that was meant to sink into the back of my head. I place my legs around the alleyway boy's legs and roll. This causes him to fall down beside me.

I wrap my right arm around his neck and place my left hand behind his head to secure the head lock. I pull him close to shield my body. An arrow, throwing knives and bullets are all ready to fly at me. _Not me, but us. _

"Stop!" My shield tells them.

They hesitate, unsure of what to do.

The braider argues with my sheild, "But you know I can hit her without-"

"Leo, as your prince, I command you to stop."

The boy, Leo, scowls at me.

"Yes sir."

_Prince?_

"Well, your highness," I say sarcastically, "I need you to call your… _Men _off. Tell them to drop all of their weapons."

The so called Prince just laughs.

"Yeah, right! I just told them to stop so that we could talk. Now release me."

I tighten my grip and stand up. This is hard, since he is taller than me, but I make him rise with me anyways. He chokes a bit and I smile.

"Finding it hard to breathe, your highness?"

I peer around his left shoulder.

"Drop your weapons, or I'll snap his neck."

"Liar!" The Prince coughs when I start to choke him as hard as I can.

"Drop your wea-" I am cut off when the archer pulls me back by the throat with his bowstring. I immediately let the Prince go and my hands fly up to my neck. _How did he sneak up behind me?_

His hands are on each side of my neck and I can't escape. Not only is my ability to breathe gone, but I can feel my blood circulation being cut off too. Leo tosses a knife at me so carelessly, that I manage to catch it and slice off the bow string. The archer realizes what has happened and snaps. I just take my first breath as he rams me into the ground. He sits on me and starts throwing punches at my face. I block most of them, but he still gets a few good ones in.

"Foxflee! Stop, we still need her!"

"Listen to your Prince, _Foxflee."_ I taunt him. _Such a strange name._

"No! She has to pay for what she did to my parent's bow!" Foxflee yells.

I sucker punch him in the nose and he grabs his face.

"And _you_ have to pay for stealing my parent's music box and book."

"Stop it the both of you or there'll be more bloodshed than necessary." The Prince commands.

The bloody nosed Foxflee gets off me and I kick him in the stomach. He falls backwards and the Prince grabs my shoulders and pulls me up.

"Stand against the tree." He commands me.

"No!" I shove him.

"Leo!" He calls.

Leo storms towards me and puts me in a head lock. He pulls me backwards and sits me down. With my legs in front of me and him in complete control of my head, I can't thrash out against him. I am stuck.

"You aren't the only martial artist here." Leo pulls my hood off.

The Prince stares at me for a moment, staring into my green eyes.

"Phoenix, bring me the book."

Phoenix does this obediently and hands the Prince the book. This royal pain in the neck shakes my book without taking his eyes off mine._ What's his problem? Doesn't he know it's rude to stare? _I think sarcastically. Something drops from the book, but I do not dare drop my gaze. He catches the paper and holds it up for me to see. I can feel the blood drain from my face.

On the paper is the small painting of my mother holding my fingers when I was only a few hours old. _Where did he get that? The only picture I have of my mother is now in his hands. _

"This is what happens to people who don't do as I say." He says.

Phoenix strikes something so fast, that I barely even see the motion. But the flame that he holds in his hand is something that I can't miss. I shake my head at him, well; I at least try to anyways. He knows what I did though, and he responds by nodding and smiling a cruel, manic smile. I never noticed his eyes before. I am startled by his yellow eyes. _Were they always so wild?_ They have an insane look to them. The boy has to be somewhat mad, because he never stops smiling. Even when I had winded him, I can recall him laughing as he fell. I probably fear Leo the most, but Phoenix comes in a close second.

Phoenix holds his hand underneath the painting and the flames quickly eat away at the paper. They engulf my mother and she starts to disappear.

"NO!" I scream, struggling against Leo's expert grip. But I can't break away- I can't seem to save her. I watch in horror as the fire burns my mother. The Prince drops the picture before it burns him. It lands near my foot and I stomp it out.

Phoenix picks up the only piece that survives. He laughs and hands it to the Prince who also laughs-though his doesn't sound insane.

"Tell me, did they burn your mother's body when she died?"

I don't respond. He shows me the paper with burnt edges. All that is left is me lying in a crib reaching out to nothing.

"Because this is ironically accurate; your mother is nothing but ashes. The only thing left is you, all alone."

His cruel words tear at my sanity. There is ringing in my ears and I can hear nothing. My throat tightens up and I struggle to breathe. I can just make out what the Prince is saying by reading his lips.

_"Left alone, you are pathetic and weak."_

He starts talking to Leo, and laughs. Although their voices are muted, I can hear them in my head.

_Pathetic, weak and all alone. _

A new memory comes forward, triggered by the situation. It was a dark, depressing night and the smell of smoke filled the air. I had to be only a few days old, but my brain was able to capture that horrid night. They burned my mother's body to burry her ashes later that week. I caught a glimpse of my father's tear-stained face that was lit up by the fire. Someone was holding me, and I assume it was Ayaka. I started to cry and a voice tries to soothe me. I didn't cry because of the heat, I was crying because my father had just run away. He had decided that he couldn't handle it. Both my parents had left me that day. I was an infant at the time, all alone and pathetically weak.

My knees buckle and I gasp for air. Leo lets me go and I curl up on the ground. They all laugh at me, except for Foxflee. He just stares at me with his dark blue eyes. _My mother's eyes were blue._

Their laughter rings in my head.

_Pathetic, weak and all alone._

The words repeat over and over, their laughter grows louder and louder.

_Stop!_ My mind yearns for peace, but it doesn't die down.

_Over and over, louder and louder._

_Stop it! _I can't control my thoughts. Foxflee's eyes turn into my mother's, and I watch them turn from blue to black, burned from the fire.

_Pathetic, weak and all alone, over and over, louder and louder._

"MAKE IT STOP!"

My hearing comes back and I hear screaming. _That's my screaming. _I am hunched on the ground, covering my ears. The de Noir's laughter immediately stops.

I cannot see; my eyes are clouded over with rage.

I _can_ feel hands on my shoulders, trying to stand me up. I lash out and hear a thud, but no pain follows after it. Usually if I punch something hard, there is throbbing in my hand. But not now. My fury turns into adrenaline, and I feel invincible.

There are a couple of flashes and my sight comes back, just in time to see Leo throwing a last punch to my jaw. I grab his fist and squeeze it, feeling the strength in my arms. His face turns white, and he tries not to let out a scream. I manage to get a groan when I upper-cut punch him in the throat. He falls back and starts coughing up blood.

Phoenix starts to pull out his pistols, but I ram into him, the both of us falling to the ground.

"So you like fire, huh? Well, feel the burn of death, you half-wit."

As I raise my hand to strike him, but I am jerked backwards. I manage to at least axe-kick him in the stomach, and he joins Leo with the coughing.

"Stop this at once!" The Prince shouts as he shoves me to the ground.

I bring him down with me by grabbing his legs and tugging at them. His bowler hat falls off when he hits the ground revealing his curly brown hair. I see feathers sticking out and laugh at him.

"I like your feathers, bird boy."

In the middle of the coughing, I can hear Phoenix cackle.

The Prince is trying to pull out his sword, but I stop him.

"Oh don't do that!" I tell him, "You still _need _me."

I pry the sword out of his hand and ready it. He looks at me, terrified. I am about to bring it down on him, when my eyes meet Foxflee's. My mind turns him into my mother, who shakes her head at me.

_'Don't do it Syrena.' _She tells me.

I drop the sword and scramble away from Foxflee and the Prince.

_'Don't harm them.'_

I hear a low horn being blown and the sound of hooves approaching.

The Prince curses under his breath as he stands up.

"The horses found their way back! It sounds like a whole army is coming! Grab her and run!"

Foxflee starts towards me, and I jump to my feet which startles him.

_'Don't harm them.' _My mother's voice says again.

_I won't. But I want my book back._

I grab my book and tear it from his arms. He looks at me, clearly scared.

"Scram!" I tell him, and he takes off with the others.

I finally glance behind me and see, not an army, but ten Native riders on painted horses. The rider who picks me up has a feather headdress. We start galloping away and I panic.

"Ayaka!" I call, but we do not turn back.

"They will get them." My rider replies with a thick, Native accent.

And so they do. Six of us ride while the four others stay behind. Nothing else enters my mind except for the fact that I had just taught four de Noir's a valuable lesson today; don't underestimate the power of my breaking point.


	7. Chapter 6

"And he just gave you the book back?"

Ayaka asks me. I had had just finished telling Ayaka and Hummingbird everything that had happened. Thanks to Silver Basilisk, the doctor of the Thunderbird clan, they both have recovered from the explosion. Her tepee- what the Natives call their tents- is the second largest one here. The larger the tepee, the higher ranked the person is in the tribe. _I guess that makes sense._

The largest tepee belongs to Silver Thunderbird, the chief of the Thunderbird clan and my rescuer.

"Well I have to admit, I was pretty frightening and I had just beat up the rest of his friends right in front of him."

I remember the feeling of adrenaline running through my veins. I flinch at the memory of what triggered it. Their voices still ring in my head;

_Pathetic, weak and all alone._

I shake off the feeling of anxiety crawling in me.

"These _boys _are going to be a greater bother than I had thought they would." Ayaka says the word 'boys' as if she means to say fugitives. She seems to have a lot more to say, but she keeps it to herself and rubs her temples instead. Silver Basilisk said that the explosion will give her severe head aches. I have a black eye, and bruises on my neck and cheeks from the fight.

"Those boys are from the de Noir clan. And since the Prince was there, it seems to be that they will not stop until they get what they want."

"If they don't stop, then they'll keep getting beaten up." I snap at him. I don't mean to be rude towards Hummingbird, but towards the de Noir's. Hummingbird chuckles, but then stops. He had gotten it worse than Ayaka. Hummingbird had received three major burns on his torso.

"Syrena, what they want is _you._" He tells me in a strained voice.

"Why would they want _me_? All I'd do is put up a fight and probably annoy them to tears if they ever did catch me."

_As if capturing is even possible._ But remembering how they knocked me out last night and discovered my unknown weakness so easily today, I can't help but think that capturing me won't be as hard as I think.

"You haven't read the entire book, have you Syrena?" Hummingbird asks.

"No." I frown. I don't see how this relates to my question. I clutch the book in my arms. Everywhere, on the tents, on clothing and even the brand burns on the horses are Dragons. They're like the one on my book, but their Dragons look as if they are about to take flight. This clan takes Dragons to a whole new level. Why do they not put Thunderbirds instead? Now that I think of it, I am not too sure what a Thunderbird really is.

"What is a Thunderbird?" The question was meant for Hummingbird, but Chief Thunderbird enters the tent and answers the question himself.

"Lightning- or the evil spirits- are sent to destroy mankind. The Thunderbird fights them off to protect the innocent. Humans thank the Thunderbird by protecting it, rather than destroying it. I was named Thunderbird after this legend."

"Why don't you paint Thunderbirds everywhere?" I ask him.

"We already have."

I want to tell him that Thunderbirds are not the same as Dragons, but I bite my tongue instead. After all, he must know more than me about these mythical beasts. He pulls something out of his white trench coat and hands it to me. _My katana!_

"How did you find it?"

Thunderbird doesn't even look at me.

"The explosion destroyed the box, but not what was left inside. My men also found these."

He gives me my darts and my dagger. All of the handles and feathers are blackened, but not completely ruined.

"Thank you." is all I can say.

Thunderbird hands Ayaka some of her weapons, but not all. Most of hers were made of wood and were demolished.

"Do you know how to use those?" Thunderbird gestures towards the darts.

I stare at him, unsure of what to say.

"Somewhat." I answer carefully.

"Show me."

I hesitate, but then throw one of the darts into the eye of a Dragon-or Thunderbird- painting, making me look better at it than I really am.

One of the Thunderbird warriors pulls it out of the tent, and I just remember now that the dart has the three metal teeth. The man tugs at it and it eventually comes out, leaving a gaping hole behind. Thunderbird takes a better look at the dart, and then gives me a scolding expression.

"You stole these." He says it as a statement.

_How does he know?_

"When I was younger, I stole them from a bar." I say calmly, although, I am anything but calm.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because the dart's design was made in DragoncrestValley." He tells me, as if that answers everything.

I shrug and change the topic.

"Why do the de Noir's want me?" I ask, truly curious.

Thunderbird scowls at me, like he doesn't want to talk to me.

"Why don't you ask them?" He says dryly.

I am confused as to why he is acting so bitterly towards me. _Was it because of the darts?_

Thunderbird and the warrior leave the tent. _So much for my welcoming committee._

The sound of hooves approaching makes Hummingbird look out the tepee entrance.

"Your Uncle is here." He tells me.

I almost run out of the tent. When I reach a dirt pathway, I stop and stare.

What I see is a man riding on a tall bay horse leading three horses beside him. One is a dapple grey, the other is a palomino and the last one is a black and white pinto. My knowledge of horses is limited, for I was only taught the names of the coat colours.

The man looks at me and I stiffen. He has dark brown hair and green eyes. _He looks like a younger version of my father. _

I tighten my grip around the handle of my Katana sword until my knuckles turn white. Trying not to show my hurt, I purse my lips and look at him. It turns out to be more of a glare rather than a simple stare, but I can't seem to control it. He stares back at me while pulling the reins over the bay's head.

I hear Ayaka gasp behind me.

"Sir Jacques?" She asks in a shaky voice. I can tell that she sees my father in this man as well.

"Sir William, actually." he corrects her politely. His eyes move from Ayaka to someone to the right of me. I would look too, but I can't take my eyes off of my Uncle.

"I hear that you had some trouble arriving here, Hummingbird."

"Indeed we did." The sound of Hummingbird's calm voice soothes me a bit, but not a lot.

"The de Noir boys exploded the wagon. Mistress Ayaka and I were knocked unconscious, so the story is really your niece's to tell."

My Uncle looks into my eyes, which are like a mirror image of mine. They are green with gold specks surrounding the pupil and gradually spreading out in the rest of the iris. He looks from my cheek, to my neck and to my Katana.

"What do the de Noir's look like?" He asks me. I take a while to answer.

"Shocked, scared and will probably be in more pain when they wake up." I half mutter.

He smiles.

"You are a lot like your mother," he tells me, gesturing to my slacks, "she used to wear pants as well."

This takes me aback.

"You've met my mother?" I ask eagerly.

"Certainly…My dear," he says, "after all, your parents did have their wedding in DragoncrestValley."

_'My dear.' He doesn't even know my name._

I stick out my hand towards him.

"My name is Syrena. It's a pleasure to meet you, Uncle."

He gives my hand a firm shake.

"I knew that." He lies.

I give him a look. _Sure you did. _He understands me and smiles.

"And it's a pleasure to finally meet the long lost Freemen."

Unlike Thunderbird, I will get along with my Uncle.

"Let me be the first to welcome you to Dragoncrest Valley."

"You beat up four armed de Noir boys with only a pole?" My Uncle fantasizes over this thought. I pop a chunk of lamb in my mouth before I answer him.

"Correction; I completely destroyed them with a pole and my bare hands."

I swallow the chewed up meat in my mouth. Ayaka started to have pain in her head, and my Uncle had to show her to her room so that she could lie down. Since she isn't here, my Uncle had told me not to worry about table manors. For the past half-hour, we've been talking while chewing, throwing food at each other, and even propping both elbows up on the table. My Uncle acts more like how a cousin or a brother should act.

I was very animated when I was telling my Uncle the story, almost acting the entire thing out. I don't know why I'm so lively, but as soon as I walked through the entrance, I got a good vibe about this place. Not only do I feel safe here, but I feel welcomed as well.

"You can throw darts, wield a sword and defend yourself with only a pole! What can't you do?" He asks me excitedly.

I think about it, and then answer,

"I can't seem to ride that horse."

I refer back to when I was riding the dapple grey horse, Prince Albert, to my Uncle's manor. The horse tried to dismount me several times, even when I was getting off of him. Hummingbird rode his horse, Sundance, the pinto. She had designs painted on her face, a feather in her mane, and a beautiful personality. Sundance only listens to Hummingbird, and she behaves so well that he rides her bareback. Ayaka rode the palomino horse, named Whisper. He suited Ayaka, with his beige coat and white mane. He cooperated with her and didn't cause any trouble, like Prince Albert. The stubborn horse made me look like a horrible rider. It was not a good first experience for riding.

"Indeed, that was strange. Usually Albert behaves, especially around Alexander."

Alexander is my Uncle's horse, who was named after Sir Alexander Freemen. The tall, calm bay obeyed my Uncle's every command.

"We will try riding tomorrow. Maybe Albert will cooperate with a crop."

We finish up dinner and start walking around the manor.

"How do you like the place?" My Uncle asks.

"I love it. I feel as if I belong here." I respond.

"You are a Freemen, Syrena. You _do_ belong here."

He is right. I didn't belong in the city, and I don't belong anywhere else but here.

"Uncle, where are the rest of the Freemen's?"

My Uncle frowns.

"We are the only Freemen's left. After your father died, that left only the two of us."

I pause to consider this. My mother had become a Freemen by marrying my father. Fifteen years ago, there were six Freemen's the day I was born. Both my parents and my grandparents have died, leaving only my Uncle and I.

"Why haven't you married?" I ask curiously.

The expression on my Uncle's face tells me that I triggered a bad memory.

"There was a woman I was supposed to marry. She broke my heart the day she told me her full name." My Uncle's eyes harden.

"Florence de Noir."

I stare at him. _He almost married a de Noir? _

"It wouldn't matter so much if she was a villager," I point out, "so why did you make her leave?"

If she was a villager, and only a villager, then she would not have de Noir blood in her.

My Uncle stares at me, searching my face.

"Florence de Noir was the Coeur de Noir's daughter. She was the sister of that boy you encountered."

_The Prince. She is the rotten Prince's sister._

"But that was then and this is now. There is no need to mourn over the past." There is an edge in his voice, like he hasn't gotten over her.

I take the hint to change the subject.

"I'm glad Ayaka didn't attend dinner; if she saw our lack of manors, she would have had our heads."

"What do you think she would say if I told her about your behaviour?" He smiles deviously.

"_My _behaviour? It was you that encouraged it!"

He shrugs.

"Yes, but I'd only tell her what _you_ did."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me." My Uncle says as he runs off.

I smile and take off after him. _He knows how to be a child again… and I admire that._

I catch up to him rather quickly, and we start racing down a long hallway. My Uncle shoves me into a wall.

"Hey!" I laugh.

He turns left into a doorway, and I follow him shortly after. I sprint up a long, spiral staircase. I enter an empty waiting room with a door on the other side. I jog over and open it, expecting to find my Uncle. Instead, I stand in the doorway of a strange bedroom, mystified.

The walls of this room are all paintings. I see my Uncle's manor, a castle I do not recognize, and a few scenes from my book. To my right is a bed with white covers. Carved into the headboard is a Dragon. On my left is a fireplace with Dragon heads emerging from the wooden frame. Beside that is a tall wardrobe that, again, has designs of dragons carved into it. The ceiling is a painting of a starry night. The only window in the room is on the wall across from the doorway.

"Do you like it?" I jump at the sound of my Uncle's voice. He somehow snuck up behind me without me hearing.

"Yes." I answer.

"It's yours."

I look at him. He isn't joking.

"Thanks… I mean, you owed me anyways."

"Oh really?" he smirks.

"Of course. You shoved me."

"Me?" he asks innocently.

"Yes! You were being childish and immature."

"You followed me," he points out. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"Alright." I agree.

My Uncle clears his throat and nods towards the wardrobe.

"Some of… Florence's old clothes are in there for you to use, until you are able to earn enough money to replace them."

"Thank you." I tell him.

"Goodnight Uncle." I say after a long pause.

"See you in the morning." He tells me.

(Okay guys, this will be the only author's note I give at the end of any chapter, but it's pretty important. I have gotten permission to use BrunuhVille's song Celtic Ballad -Riversong as Syrena's lullaby. If you wish to listen to it, here is the link;

watch?v=nKJqMnuzhFU

Thank you for your reviews, I love to read them. And sorry for how long it took me to post this chapter up, not everyone's perfect :P)


	8. Chapter 7

I wait for my Uncle to disappear down the stairs before I close over the door to my room. He is nothing like my father was. He is kind, accepting, and knows how to have a good time. My Uncle told me before that he was born in 1803, so that means he is twenty-nine years old. My father was forty when he died. An eleven year gap between siblings is strange, but not uncommon. If my parents were still alive, would I be an older sister by now? Perhaps if they were and had another child when I was eleven, I would have a four year old brother by now. I would tease him and mess up his hair and he would annoy me and stick his tongue out at me.

I start to choke up at the thought. Shaking my head to get rid of the image, I walk to my new wardrobe. I open it up and smile.

There are beige, black, crimson, royal blue, white and even dark purple shirts hung up in it. There has to be at least ten different types of corsets; some made of velvet, leather, and other fine fabrics. Five black pants are folded up in a drawer riding and hunting boots sit at the bottom. I find three nightgowns; beige, white and black. I grab the beige one and change into it. The girl, Florence, had an excellent taste in clothing. I find it strange how no one in DragoncrestValley wears skirts. I decide not to question it since I have no reason not to embrace the fact.

I wander to my new bed and spot my book lying on it. Before I open it, I take off the cross necklace that Priest John have given me and place it on a nightstand. I then continue the book from where I had left off.

'The Dragon Empress saw only good in her families, but soon, the greed in men's hearts failed them.

"We are the chosen ones! The statue will be in the hands of the de Noir clan forever."

Sir Griffin's greed had betrayed him and the same soon happened to Sir Alexander.

"With the power of the statue, I can claim the Valley for myself!"

Their words had devastated the Empress.

"This statue was meant for no man! It belongs to the Dragons themselves!"

But the selfish men did not listen to her. They fought over the statue willing to kill one another for it.

To protect the Valley and the Dragons, Ayemornielle took the power from the Dragon Statue and called the animals out of the men.

"Show yourselves!"

The men painfully transformed into the animals that they had acted like and could not continue fighting.

The Empress' families had betrayed her and she unleashed the power bestowed upon her.

"Hear me! You have turned against me and the Dragons, and so you must be cursed. The Dragons will seek revenge and put a curse on the Valley. You will be given chances to redeem yourselves. A new Dragon Empress will enter into the Valley every fifty years. If they are not heard by the four hundredth Empress, the Dragons will rise and plunge this valley into eternal darkness!"

The Dragons then carried Ayemornielle off, and was never to be heard from again. The Dragon Statue was never found after the men turned back into humans. All of the mythical beasts of the land disappeared and the de Noir's and Freemen's separated. Wars broke out between the families in result of the curse of the Dragon Statue.'

I flip the page, but it doesn't continue the story. Instead, it reads:

'Many pure hearts have walked throughout the land. None of them were listened to, and are eventually killed off. Will you let the Valley die?'

I flip the page again and feel my pulse quickening. _It's nothing but a stupid book, so why am I so nervous?_

I then find a family tree… No, not a tree, but a list.

'The line of Dragon Empresses' is the title. Something is written below it.

'One of you must lift the curse. If you do not succeed, the Valley and everything within it will be burned.'

I read all four hundred names of the unfortunate people. If they failed -which all of them have- then the year of their death was recorded beside their name. It seems that every fifty years is a new name. Number three hundred ninety-nine is the last name recorded on this page. Grace Freemen failed in 1782… Grace Freemen was my father's mother. 1832 is the current year, so my grandmother had died over fifty years ago. I turn to the last page in the book, revealing the four hundredth Dragon Empress.

'400. Syrena Freemen.' It and the words written below it are circled and written in blood.

'YOU ARE THE LAST HOPE'

…

My Uncle and I run in a dark forest. I don't remember what exactly we are running from, but I do know that I can't look back. This whole situation would be a lot easier if I weren't wearing this stupid white dress. I recognize it as the Dragon Empress's wedding dress, but why am I wearing it?

The dress catches on a fallen tree branch and I fall. I hear my Uncle start to laugh at me, but when I look up, my Uncle is in fact the de Noir Prince.

"Look at you, pathetically weak and all alone."

I start to punch at him, but I am jerked back from the neck by Foxflee's bowstring. I cough and choke, finding it hard to breathe.

"Stop! I need to lift the curse!"

Thunderbird emerges from the trees and starts to throw my own darts at me. I dodge all of them by dropping to the ground. Then the unbelievable happens and he turns into a half fox, half bird creature. The beast's eyes are the same as Foxflee's. It shrieks at me and bites my arm. I scream as the pain registers to my brain and the beast collapses and transforms into Foxflee.

I try to stop the blood rushing out of my arm, but I am suddenly afraid. Leo appears and throws a knife into my shoulder. I fall backwards and he grabs a sword and plunges it into my heart.

I lie in my own pool of blood, with my heart pounding in my ears and trying to gasp for air. I look up into the sky and see blood letters painted on the moon.

'YOU FAILED.'

Instead of Dragons, Phoenix rises up from the ground and burns everything down, with those insane eyes.

As the flames engulf us, Leo speaks to me in a haunting voice.

"It wasn't me, it was you. I didn't kill the Valley. It was all your fault…Syrena."

I finally wake up screaming into my pillow. I open my eyes to my brightly lit room. _I'm safe. It was just a dream. No, It was a nightmare. But it was so real. _

_Too real. _

I will learn very soon that most of it was not just a dream.

…

"In all of my born days, I have never seen such a stubborn horse!"

My Uncle is teaching me how to ride, well, trying to teach me. Everything would be a whole lot easier if Prince Albert wasn't pretending to need to pee right now.

"Kick him and use the crop."

My Uncle is literally riding circles around me at the moment. He somehow managed to get Alexander into a beautiful amble- a half walk, half jog sort of pace. But Alexander is a cooperative horse, so of course he will listen to my Uncle.

I squeeze Albert's sides with my legs and tap him with the crop. I would like to think that I finally got him to move, but it was actually my Uncle leading Alexander away that got Albert's attention.

"Uncle, I had noticed a pair of hunting boots in my wardrobe." I state as soon as catch up to him. He grins.

"Well, I was going to teach you how to hunt after you learned how to ride. If you are successful at hunting, then you can sell your catch at the village and earn a bit of money. I learned to do that when I was your age. My parents provided us with food and clothing, but anything else that we wanted, we had to buy ourselves. This taught us to not expect things from our parents, and not be rich snobs. I intend to teach you the same."

_Us. _He is talking about my father as well as himself. My father had left DragoncrestValley to become a lawyer, but when he had met my mother, me married her and became a merchant instead. This left Sir William in charge of the Valley.

"What did you wish to buy?" I ask him.

"When I was young, I wanted to buy sweets. As I grew older, I wanted better weapons to hunt with. When I had better weapons, I had cleaner kills and bigger game. I had earned so much money, that I was able to buy Alexander when he was a colt. To train him, I needed to buy training equipment and brushes. When I had finally tamed him, I had to buy riding gear. I then started to hunt with him as well and was able to chase down the game if it ever got spooked. Alexander is the second best hunting partner I have had." He gives Alexander a firm pat on the neck.

"Who was your best hunting partner?"

"Hummingbird." He replies.

I am a bit taken aback by this.

"Hummingbird? But he seems so gentle."

My Uncle chuckles.

"He is gentle. He taught me how to kill an animal clean and quick, without it having to suffer."

"How did you meet him?" My curiosity seems to get the better of me every day I'm here.

"Well, my parents were very busy people, having to run the Valley and taking care of issues if they came up. So they had their dearest friend look after your father and I, but mainly me because I was younger. Hummingbird to me is like Ayaka to you. A friend, a guardian, and almost like a parent. When I was seventeen, my parents were murdered. I was a wreck and had to step up to take charge of the land. Hummingbird helped me out a lot by always pushing me to do better, and always supported me."

His voice trails off and we ride in silence. My mind wanders, and I start to think about his parents. His father was Samuel Freemen, and his mother was Grace Freemen… The Dragon Empress before me… but she died over fifty years ago.

"Your mother wasn't Grace Freemen." I state.

Sir William frowns.

"No. How did you figure that out?"

"Because it was recorded that she died in 1782, fifty years ago. That means if she had children, they would have to be fifty or older. My father was forty when he died, and you are twenty-nine now. Grace Freemen was not your mother, so who was?" I sound like a detective.

"You're a smart girl. For that reason, I'll tell you. After Grace had died, Samuel Freemen, my father, had married a de Noir villager, named Rebekkah, in 1791. She gave birth to your father a year later, then to me in 1803. In 1820, they were murdered in a cross fire when they were travelling to the city. They were going to send your father a letter, as well as buy merchandise. Your father was in the military at that point, and never spoke of having a daughter. He only told us that Madeline died, and so we assumed that you were never delivered. I only found out that you existed when your lawyer sent me a letter. And let me tell you, I was so glad that I found out that you are alive. I was so glad to find out that I wasn't the last Freemen."

_I have de Noir blood in my veins? My grandparents were murdered? By who? Where are all of the other Freemen's?_

Albert seems to sense my tension, and starts to buck. The sudden motion jerks me forwards and I nearly fall off of him.

"Whoa!" I shout, frustrated. _Stupid horse. _

"Pull up the reins! Don't let him drop his head!" My Uncle instructs me.

I tug hard on the reins, but Albert is too strong.

"I can't!"

"Walk him in a tight circle while pulling his head up!"

I pull on the left rein and Albert starts jogging in an awkward circle. This stops him from bucking, but as soon as he stops walking in circles, he rears. I manage to slam my body forwards, and he his front legs meet the ground again.

I feel the wind rush into my face and I realize that Albert is galloping away with me on his back.

"Syrena! Steer him away from the de Noir…" My Uncle's voice fades away.

_The de Noir forest! The very place I'm supposed to avoid! _

I panic and try to pull on the reins again. Albert goes wild and starts bucking and rearing until I lose my grip on the reins. I am now concerned for his safety. If he steps on the reins, he can injure himself.

"Albert! Please stop!"

He gives me a mean sound and I know I'm not safe on his back. I jump off him, and hit the ground. I stand up and watch him run away.

"Fine! Just leave me here all alone! Such a gentleman you are!" I shout after him.

I start brushing dead leaves off of my green shirt as I take in my surroundings. I have no idea how to get out of here. We had entered one way, taken multiple turns, and he left in a different direction.

Brilliant. I am lost in the middle of the de Noir forest without any weapons. And there isn't anywhere to hide.

My Uncle will probably take a while to find me. He most likely went back to get backup in case of any encounters.

I consider staying where I am, but I then start to hear distressed horse calls.

Did Albert step on his reins and break his jaw? I take off towards where the sounds are coming from.

I run into a clearing and stop in my tracks. Albert isn't here, but another horse is.

From what Hummingbird had told me, I figure out that this is a high spirited Arabian mare. She is tall and thin, with a pure black coat and mane. Her eyes are also black, but I can see the whites of her eyes, showing that she is scared.

The poor horse has a rope tied around her neck, attaching her to a tree. Every time she fights against it, it digs into her neck, strangling her.

_Who could do such a cruel and idiotic thing?_

The mare finally sees me and flicks her ears towards me. She stomps and snorts at me, as if demanding me to free her.

She seems awfully friendly for a wild horse.

She snorts at me again and continues to fight the rope. She bites and tugs at it, but nothing seems to help.

"Hey, let's get you out of here." I say while shuffling my feet slowly.

She jerks her head up and gives me a glare. It looks so human, that I start to laugh.

She whinnies at me, stomps and flares her nostrils at me.

"Are you mocking me?" I ask her, knowing I won't get a response.

She gives me a shorter high pitched whinny that matches the tone of my voice.

I choke down another laugh. _This horse has attitude._

"Do you want my help or not?" I ask.

She just snorts and stands still. I walk up to her and reach up to her neck to untie the knot. I start fidgeting around with the knot until the mare tenses up again.

"What did I do wrong this time?" I look up at her. The whites of her eyes have re-appeared. When I see what she was looking at, the whites of my eyes show too.

Leo, Phoenix and Foxflee emerge out of the trees with their gaze locked on me.


End file.
